Here's a good way to keep your medical records for emergency use:

As reported on HealthLink on Air
Fall 2007

This four-week Every Patient's Advocate Tip of the Week series has addressed the push by a number of websites you use every day, including MSN, AOL, Google, Revolution Health and others, to get their site visitors to begin posting personal health information (also called Personal Health Records or PHRs) online, on the web.

Bottom line:  even though they offer you fancy online applications and free storage space to do so, don't do it!  They can't possibly be private or safe;  in fact, your information will be sold to other parties, and they will use it themselves to advertise to you.

Here's a good way to prepare for a health emergency:

Purchase a USB flash drive, also known as a personal drive or a thumb drive.  They are small (thumb sized) and can easily be attached to a key chain or dropped in a purse. 

Start a new computer file in your word processor (microsoft word or works) and add to that file any information an emergency medical provider might need to know if you are injured or suffer some sort of medical emergency.  Include details such as:

• your full name.  DO NOT* include your address or other personally identifiable information.

• your designated emergency contact, plus home, work and cell phone numbers

• your doctor's names, specialties and their contact information

• your blood type

• any disease or condition you have that emergency providers might need to know about

• a list of drugs and medications you take on a regular basis

• recent shots like tetanus or flu shots

• allergies, including drug allergies

• basic insurance information such as the company name and phone number.  DO NOT* include your personal identification numbers or any information that would help someone gain access to your health insurance account.

• any other information that might help someone who would provide emergency care to you.

Once you've put all this information into a computer document, then save the file and call it ICE (In Case of Emergency.)  Save a copy of your ICE document on your new flash drive and attach it to your keychain or put it in your purse.

*If you lose your flash drive, or if it is stolen, you don't want someone use that information to be used for identity theft. 

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